Measuring bottle cap

ABSTRACT

Disclosed is a measuring bottle cap that attaches to the neck of a bottle. The measuring bottle cap has a seal for sealing the top of the bottle to prevent fluid within the bottle from leaving the bottle, a cylinder that fits over the neck and is fixed to the seal, an annular ring having an inside edge that is fixed to the cylinder and an outside edge that is displaced away from the cylinder, and sides that extend upward from the outside edge of the annular ring. The sides, annular ring, cylinder, and seal form a cup for holding a liquid. The inside edge of the annular ring may be fixed to the top or the bottom of the cylinder. The sides of the measuring bottle cap may be marked with gradations to indicate the amount of fluid held by the cup. The cup may be sealed with a lid.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a bottle cap that can be filled from the top of the cap to measure out a known amount of liquid. In particular, it relates to a graduated bottle cap that screws onto the top of a bottle and has a hinged snap-on lid.

When a measured amount of a liquid must be poured from a container, a separate container of known capacity or marked with gradations, such as a measuring spoon or a cup, may be used. But since such measuring containers may not always be handy, liquids may be sold in containers that have threaded caps that can be inverted and used to measure the amount of liquid desired. However, after pouring the liquid from the cap, some liquid usually remains inside the cap. When the cap is inverted a second time and is replaced on the container, that liquid may move between the threads and down the sides of the container. Depending on the liquid, this may create a sticky container or, if the liquid is flammable or toxic, a danger. Thus, it would be desirable to have a container with a measuring cap on it that prevents residual liquid in the cap from leaking to the outside of the container.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

I have invented a measuring bottle cap that removably seals a bottle that holds a liquid. The top of the cap is a graduated cup, so that the cap can be removed from the bottle and a measured amount of liquid can be poured from the bottle into the cup without inverting the cap. The bottle can then be re-sealed with the cap, again without inverting the cap, so any liquid remaining in the cap will not run down the sides of the bottle. The cup may be provided with a lid to prevent any remaining liquid from leaving the cup and to prevent contaminants from entering the cup.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an isometric bottom view of a certain presently preferred embodiment of a measuring bottle cap according to this invention.

FIG. 2 is side view in section of the measuring bottle cap shown in FIG. 1 with a bottle onto which it may be screwed.

FIG. 3 is an enlargement of a portion of the cap and lip shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a side view of an alternative certain presently preferred embodiment of a measuring bottle cap according to this invention

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, measuring bottle cap 1 may be attached to neck 2 of bottle 3. Cap 1 has a seal 4 that is fixed to the top of cylinder 5. Cylinder 5 has female threads 6 that engage male threads 7 on neck 2 of bottle 3. To the bottom of cylinder 5 is fixed annular ring 8 which in turn is fixed to sides 9 of cap 1. Seal 4, cylinder 5, annular ring 8, and sides 9 form a cup 10 that can hold a liquid. Snap-on lid 11 is attached to sides 9 by means of flexible hinge 12. As shown in FIG. 3, rim 13 of lid 11 has annular indentation 14 and annular projection 15 that engage annular projection 16 and annular indentation 17, respectively, at the top of sides 9.

Bottle 3 may be any type of necked bottle, of any shape and size. It may be, in cross-section, round, square, rectangular, oval, or other shape. Preferably, it is a round bottle. It may hold any amount of liquid, but typically will hold about 2 to about 128 oz. If neck 2 is threaded, its cross-section will be round, but neck 2 may have another shape (square, oval, etc.) if bottle 3 is not sealed with a threaded cap, but is sealed by a snap-on cap or other type of seal. Bottle 3 may be made of a variety of materials, including metals and ceramics, but it is preferably made of glass or plastic as those materials are inexpensive and unreactive with liquids likely to be placed inside the bottle. Bottle 3 may be used to hold any liquid, but it is most suited for holding liquids that are meant to be used in measured amounts, such as medicine, liquid vitamins and supplements, dietary drinks, detergent, cooking oil, etc.

Neck 2 is sealed by seal 4, which prevents liquid within bottle 3 from coming out of bottle 3. Seal 4 may seal bottle 3 by means of threads on outside of neck 2 and the inside of sealing portion 4, by means of which it may be screwed against neck 2, as shown in the drawings, or by other means, such as a snap-on lid similar to snap-on lid 11.

Sides 9 of cap 1 may be round, rectangular, square, oval, elliptical, polygonal, or other shape in cross-section. The top of sides 9 may have a rounded triangular shape that easily accommodates the mouth and nose of a person drinking from cup 10. Sides 9 are preferably wider than neck 2 so that a person's mouth can easily fit over the upper edge of sides 9 for drinking from cup 10, but sides 9 may also be as narrow as neck 2 or narrower than neck 2, so that the entire top of cup 10 can be inserted into a person's mouth to drink. Sides 9 are preferably transparent or translucent so that a person can easily see the contents of cup 10. Also, sides 9 preferably have one or more horizontal marks or gradations 18 thereon or therein, that indicate the amount of liquid within cup 10. Cup 10 preferably holds about 0.25 to about 8 oz, but may hold more or less than that amount if desired.

While lid 11 is optional, it is preferably provided to prevent contaminants from entering cup 10 and to prevent any liquid remaining within cup 10 from leaving. Similarly, hinge 12 is preferably provided to prevent the misplacement and loss of lid 11. While a snap-on lid, as shown in the drawings, that seals cup 10 by means of annular indentations and projections, as shown in FIG. 3, is preferred, other means of sealing cup 10 may also be used, such as the male and female threads used on cylinder 6 and neck 2, respectively.

Cap 1 is preferably made of plastic or glass for ease of construction, lower cost, and unreactivity with liquids likely to be used in bottle 3, but it could also be constructed of ceramic, metal, or other materials or mixtures of materials. Plastic is the preferred material as the entire cap 3, including lid 11 and hinge 12, can be made of a single piece of plastic by, for example, injection molding; polyethylene or polypropylene is the preferred plastic.

Referring now to FIG. 4, cap 19 is similar to cap 1, except that annular ring 20 is attached to the top of cylinder 21. The cap shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3 is preferred as that cap is more compact and takes up less space. 

1. A measuring bottle cap that attaches to the neck of a bottle comprising (A) a seal for sealing the top of said bottle to prevent fluid within said bottle from leaving said bottle; (B) a cylinder that fits over said neck and is fixed to said seal; (C) an annular ring having an inside edge that is fixed to said cylinder and an outside edge that is displaced away from said cylinder; and (D) sides that extend upward from said outside edge of said annular ring, where said sides, annular ring, cylinder, and seal form a cup for holding a liquid.
 2. A measuring bottle cap according to claim 1 wherein said inside edge is fixed to the top of said cylinder.
 3. A measuring bottle cap according to claim 1 wherein said inside edge is fixed to the bottom of said cylinder.
 4. A measuring bottle cap according to claim 1 including a lid that removeably attaches to the top of said sides to seal said cup.
 5. A measuring bottle cap according to claim 4 made of a single piece of molded plastic.
 6. A measuring bottle cap according to claim 4 wherein said lid snaps on to the top of said sides and is attached to said sides by a resilient hinge.
 7. A measuring bottle cap according to claim 4 wherein the rim of said lid is provided with an annular indentation and an annular projection that engages an annular projection and an annular indentation, respectively, on the top of said sides.
 8. A measuring bottle cap according to claim 6 that is made of polyethylene or polypropylene.
 9. A measuring bottle cap according to claim 1 wherein said sides have at least one horizontal mark thereon that indicates the quantity of liquid within said cup.
 10. A measuring bottle cap according to claim 1 wherein said cylinder has female threads that engage male threads on said neck.
 11. A measuring bottle cap according to claim 1 wherein said cylinder snaps on to said neck.
 12. A measuring bottle cap according to claim 1 wherein said sides are wider than said neck of said bottle.
 13. A measuring bottle cap according to claim 1 wherein said sides are transparent or translucent.
 14. A measuring bottle cap according to claim 1 wherein said cup holds about 0.25 to about 8 ounces.
 15. A bottle filled with a consumable liquid sealed with a measuring bottle cap according to claim
 1. 16. A method of using a measured amount of a liquid from a bottle according to claim 14 comprising (A) removing said measuring bottle cap from said bottle; (B) without inverting said measuring bottle cap, pouring liquid from said bottle into said cup; (C) pouring said liquid from said cup; and (D) without inverting said measuring bottle cap, replacing said measuring bottle cap on to said bottle.
 17. A measuring bottle cap that screws on to the male-threaded neck of a bottle comprising (A) a female-threaded cylinder that fits over said neck; (B) a seal fixed to the top of said cylinder for sealing said neck to prevent fluid within said bottle from leaving said bottle; (C) an annular ring having an inside edge that is fixed to the top of said cylinder and an outside edge that that is displaced away from said cylinder; (D) sides that extend upward from said outside edge of said annular ring, where said sides, annular ring, cylinder, and seal form a cup for holding a liquid; (E) a lid that removeably seals said cup; and (F) at least one horizontal mark on said sides that indicates the amount of liquid held within said cup.
 18. A method of using a measured amount of a liquid from a bottle according to claim 14 comprising (A) removing said measuring bottle cap from said bottle; (B) without inverting said measuring bottle cap, pouring liquid from said bottle into said cup; (C) pouring said liquid from said cup; and (D) without inverting said measuring bottle cap, replacing said measuring bottle cap on to said bottle.
 19. A measuring bottle cap that screws on to the male-threaded neck of a bottle comprising (A) a female-threaded cylinder that fits over said neck; (B) a seal fixed to the top of said cylinder for sealing said neck to prevent fluid within said bottle from leaving said bottle; (C) an annular ring having an inside edge that is fixed to the bottom of said cylinder and an outside edge that that is displaced away from said cylinder; (D) sides that extend upward from said outside edge of said annular ring, where said sides, annular ring, cylinder, and seal form a cup for holding a liquid; (E) a lid that removeably seals said cup; and (F) at least one horizontal mark on said sides that indicates the amount of liquid held within said cup.
 20. A method of consuming a measured amount of a liquid from a bottle according to claim 17 comprising (A) unscrewing said measuring bottle cap from said bottle; (B) without inverting said cap, placing it in a horizontal position; (C) pouring liquid from said bottle into said cup to the level of said at least one horizontal mark; (D) pouring said liquid from said cup; and (E) without inverting said cap, screwing said cap back on to said bottle. 